NKBA Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Chapter

Trades Talk: Flooring Episode 1

Wednesday, May 13,  2020 @ 3:00 pm – 3:30 pm

VIRTUAL MEETING

Trades Talk will be a monthly series of Q&A with different K&B focused contractors.
Episode 1 – Flooring

Ask your application and installation questions without the pressure of being on the job site. Gain a few tips and tricks from the installer to make both your and your customers experience a bit more smooth.

KBIS Recap and February Chapter Meeting

Thursday, February 27,  2020 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Waters
1393 Washington Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Did you miss KBIS in Las Vegas? The biggest trade show in the Kitchen & Bath Industry was filled with exciting new products and immersive presentations on design trends and technologies that are impacting our industry. Come and hear our panel of members discuss what products and trends got their attention, and what we should expect to see on the horizon.

Julie Figiel, Manager of NKBA Chapter Relations, will join us to discuss exciting NKBA updates and initiatives and answer questions you may have.

We will be having hors d’oeurves as well as drink ticketed bar!

This is going to be a great event to see what is upcoming in the design industry as well as mingling with professionals and students in the industry.

2019 Design Celebration

Thursday, November 14,  2019 @ 4:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Howard
405 Washington Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54901

2019 Design Celebration and Awards
Please join us at The Howard in Oshkosh for our annual Design Celebration and Awards with Rene Clawson at The Howard in Oshkosh, WI.

Registration closes November 11

Early Bird Pricing: NKBA Members $55 Non-Members $65 Students $30

Additonal $10 each after Nov 4

Space is limited so register early!

The Howard is an Old English/Tudor Revival-style landmark was built in 1927 and originally home to the Fraternal Order of the Eagles. After an extensive 14 month remodel, the building was fully restored and reopened in 2018, and features a coffee bar cafe, boutique bowling alley, and an opulent ballroom. The interior boasts 25-foot-high vaulted ceilings alongside original stained glass accents and hand carved crown moldings.

https://www.thehowardoshkosh.com/

4:00pm to 5:00pm.
Our Design Celebration will begin with a special presentation on “Networking in Person and Digitally” by Rene Clawson, AIA, LEED AP, CID (Maplewood, NJ–Northern New Jersey Chapter).
5:00pm to 6:15pm.
Networking and cocktails, optional historic tour of The Howard.
6:15pm to 7:00pm. Dinner.
7:00pm to 8:00pm. Presentations/ design awards.

Rene Clawson is the principal and co-founder Clawson Architects and Clawson Cabinets in Maplewood, NJ.

René has big ideas….like starting Clawson Architects in 2000. She harnessed her intuitive sense of style and love of art and design into a career and this thriving architectural practice. Since launching the firm, René has completed hundreds of extraordinary, elegant residential restoration, addition, and new constructionprojects. When her favorite cabinet dealer decided to retire, she was presented with the opportunity to learn the cabinet business and so of course, now owns a cabinet dealership.

As an active volunteer and leader in professional, business and community organizations, Rene is frequently invited to speak about small business. The four-time president of the local Chamber of Commerce, Rene cannot say enough about the importance of networking and she is happy to share with engaging stories of how Clawson Architects landed one of the firms biggest projects to Money Man Mike in her presentation on How to Network both in person and digitally.

René is a Licensed Architect in the states of New Jersey and New York and is also a Certified Interior Designer in New Jersey.

NKBA Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Vendor Fair

Thursday, September 19, 2019 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Ideal Surfaces
3200 S River Rd
West Bend, WI 53095

Sponsored by: IDEAL SURFACES

Join us for our first ever NKBA WI/UP Vendor Fair! We have over 30 vendors registered and they are all excited to show you their latest offerings!

We will also be launching our fall Membership Campaign which begins Sep 21! We have special pricing for this meeting to help launch our campaign:

NKBA Member $30 Special! Non-Member $30

2-For-1 Special! Any non-member industry professional guest of an NKBA Member can attend for Free!
(Member must register the guest with their registration)

NKBA Student Member $15 Special! Non-member Student $15

Additional Late fee of $10 after Sept 13

Sign Up Today! Registration ends Sept 16!

Vendors will be set up at tables to present their products and services.

The event will include a “Poker-Run” theme. Vendors will give a playing card to each attendee that stops at their table. Using all their collected cards, the attendee with the best combined poker hand will win the grand prize for the evening.

• Door prizes optionally supplied by vendors will also be awarded near the end of the evening.
• Food and drink will be provided for the attendees by roaming wait-staff, as well as food and drink stations.
• Hi-top tables will be set up for attendees to eat, drink and visit during the event.
• This will be a fun event! We hope you can be there!

July Chapter Meeting

Thursday, July 18, 2019 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Kowalske Kitchen & Bath
600 Milwaukee St
Delafield, WI 53018

Early Bird Registration Ends July 7

Add $10 after July 7

Registration closes July 16

Join us at Kowalske Kitchen & Bath in quaint downtown Delafield for a fun and interactive summer meeting! We’ll be cooking with Chef James Jens of Dinners with Class in Kowalske’s live Monogram kitchen, learning about current appliance and kitchen trends with Alex Skobol of Monogram, and creating signature summer cocktails with Steven Westerhausen of Low Key Hospitality.

SPONSORED BY: MONOGRAM APPLIANCES

5:00pm until 6:00pm: Registration/cocktails/networking
6:00pm until 6:10pm: Introductions/Announcements
6:10pm until 8:0pm: Demonstrations. We will rotate in groups through the following presentations:

Chef’s Demo,
Chef James Jens is our presenting chef for the evening. He is owner of Dinners with Class. He will be making dinner while presenting on Monogram appliances.

Mixology workshop.
Steven Westerhausen and his company, Low Key Hospitality, will be presenting our mixology seminars and serving drinks during the networking portion of the event.

Current Appliance and Kitchen Trends
Alexandra Skobel, Senior Designer Engagement Leader – Central Region Monogram Appliances, will update us on the latest trends in kitchen design today.

Chapter Meeting and Pop Up Student Design Competition

Thursday, May 16, 2019 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Goodman Community Center Brassworks
214 Waubesa St
Madison, WI 53704

May 16 Chapter Meeting
5pm-8pm
Students–please arrive at 4:30 with your boards
Additional $10 late fee after May 7

Registration Closes May 1

Join us at the newly renovated Goodman Community Center Brassworks building for a great evening of networking, fabulous food, brand new Student Pop Up Design Competition, and a great CEU Presentation “New Ideas in LED Lighting” by Dale Potter of Tresco Lighting (0.2 CEU).

Thank You to Our Sponsors:
STONE INNOVATIONS, INC.
TRESCO LIGHTING

BONUS FEATURE! Pop Up Student Design Competition

Students will bring display board of a Kitchen and/or Bath project to be judged by attendees at the meeting. Simple score sheets will be provided for those who wish to judge and the winners will be announced after our CEU Presentation. Students and Educators are not eligible for judging.

“New Ideas in LED Lighting” by Dale Potter of Tresco Lighting (approved by NKBA for 0.2 CEU) One hour presentation

While the choice to specify Light-emitting Diodes (LEDs) is becoming more common, the improvements to the design, variety of types, and styles of LED fixtures is developing so quickly that it can be a challenge for designers to stay abreast of the latest market-ready innovations. Dale will discuss the benefits of LED lighting when compared to other traditional bulb types and will provide a general overview of how new technologies allow for greater control of LED fixtures, light quality, and lumens. We will also explore the next generation of LED fixtures made possible by innovative contemporary designs, improved secondary optics, wireless technology, and OLEDs. Finally, we will glimpse into the future, exploring developing technologies such as laser diodes and battery free sensors.

Dale Potter is a sales manager for Tresco Lighting, and a life-long resident in the Grand Rapids, Michigan area. He holds a bachelor’s degree in both Business and Political Science from Calvin College in Grand Rapids, and an MBA with a concentration in marketing from Grand Valley State University. He has been inthe lighting field for most of the last 22 years having obtained his start in lighting product development,marketing, sales and guest speaking while at Steelcase Office Environments. Dale has been actively involved in the past 6 years in providing task, display,and accent lighting for kitchen and commercial environments.He is passionate about providing lighting to properly match the needs of the user and evoke visual interest. He is excited to share that passion with the NKBA Wisconsin/Upper Michigan Chapter.

We look forward to seeing you there!!

March 21, 2019 Chapter Meeting

Thursday, March 21, 2019 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

The Waters
1393 Washington Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Please join us for our March Chapter Meeting in Oshkosh at The Waters, a grand Georgian Revival building on the shores of Lake Winnebago. There will be networking, cocktails, a delicious buffet dinner and a CEU presentation, “Expand Your Repertoire with Frameless Cabinetry”, by Tim Kasperek of Crystal Cabinetry. (0.1 CEU).

Early Bird Registration Ends March 11

Registration Closes March 18

Thank you to our meeting sponsor: The Westlund Group, LLC

5:00: Registration and networking
5:50: Welcome and announcements
6:00: Buffet Dinner
6:30: Introduction of our event sponsor: Steve Westlund, from The Westlund Group.
6:35: Presentation: “Expand your Repertoire with Frameless Cabinetry”, withTim Kasperek, from Crystal Cabinetry. (0.1 CEU)
7:35: Q&A time with presenter
8:00 Meeting adjourned

“Expand your Repertoire with Frameless Cabinetry” (0.1CEU)
As kitchen design trends towards simple, clean lines, Frameless cabinetry is quickly gaining popularity. Love it for its full overlay look, ease of cleaning, efficient use of space, or simple install, but you are sure to walk away from this presentation with a newfound appreciation for frameless cabinetry. It can be daunting for a face frame cabinetry designer to foray into the world of frameless, but now is your chance! Tim is here to tell you why it is worth it, and teach you what you need to know to confidently design, sell and install beautiful, efficient and sleek frameless kitchens.

Tim Kasparek is the Quality and R&D manager at Crystal Cabinets, based in Princeton, Minnesota. He has been in the kitchen cabinet industry for almost 40 years, with experience in almost all areas of production and operations. Through his experience with production, product development and quality improvement projects, Tim has become Crystal’s expert on design, production, and installation of frameless cabinetry.

January 17, 2019 Chapter Meeting

Thursday, January 17, 2019 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Cosentino
S64W15680 Commerce Center Parkway
Muskego, WI 53150

Join us at the beautiful new Cosentino Showroom and warehouse in Muskego, WI. See the latest products from Cosentino and enjoy an informative presentation: “Qualify More Effectively, Estimate Quickly, Get a Commitment Faster” presented by Steven Strauss, AKBD. (0.1 CEU)

Sponsored By: COSENTINO

5pm-5:45pm: Registration/cocktails/networking

5:45pm-6:00pm: Announcements/introductions

6:00pm-6:30pm: Dinner

6:30pm-7:40pm: Presentations (sponsor and speaker)

7:40pm-8:00pm: Q&A/Wrap up

Steve Strauss, AKBD is the president of Direct Kitchen Distributors, based in Whitehall, Pennsylvania. He has been working with the family business since the age of 12 and has been president of DKD since 1992. In 2009 Steve formed a company, Spread Sheet Services, LLC, for the purpose of designing, creating, and maintaining spreadsheets, primarily for use by kitchen and bath dealers. He is an NKBA recommended speaker who has previously presented at KBIS Voices of the Industry.

“Qualify More Effectively, Estimate Quickly, Get a Commitment Faster” (0.1 CEU)

Have you ever spent hours with a person who has no intention of giving you money? Most kitchen and bath dealers spend too much time, and give away too much knowledge, prior to receiving a commitment from the potential customer. Steve will discuss ways to quickly and accurately estimate a project and a professional way of discussing the budget with a potential customer. By spending less time with non-customers, you will have additional time to devote to your paying customers.

2018 Annual Design Celebration

Thursday, November 15, 2018 @ 8:20 am – 8:00 pm

Kohler Design Center
101 Upper Rd
Kohler, Wisconsin 53044

2018 Annual Design Celebration
Thursday, November 15,  2018

Registration Closes:  November 12th

Early Bird Pricing ends November  7th

We have a wonderful day and evening planned for you in the beautiful village of Kohler, WI. We begin the day with a Kohler factory tour, a special VIP tour in the afternoon, and an elegant evening at the Kohler Design Center, capped off with our 2018 Professional Design Competition awards. You won’t want to miss it!

Sponsored by:    Ideal Surfaces

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

–All optional tours are included in the registration price!

8:20 am Kohler Factory Tour

This is for people that want to make a day of it, and get the whole Kohler experience. There will be a space for changing into cocktail attire later in the day for those participating in this tour.

Closed toe footwear must be worn
Safety goggles and headsets are provided
No cameras allowed. 2- 2.5 hours.

2:00 pm VIP Tour

Includes touring the Waste Lab, Artist Area, and Kohler Konnect. 1.5 hours.

4:00 pm Guided Tour of Kohler Design Center

This is a guided tour of the Kohler Design Center, where our event will be held. This will finish up just prior to our event starting. Plan on attending this tour in your cocktail attire.

5:00 pm Annual Design Celebration Begins Cocktail Attire

Delicious food, splendid drinks, and wonderful live music will fill the room from 5pm until 6:45pm

6:45 pm Welcome, Introductions, Announcements

Welcome message from your chapter president, Denise Merbeth, and from a special Kohler VIP Guest.

7:00 pm Jennifer Bertrand, AKBD

Jennifer Bertrand is best known as the winner of HGTV’s ‘Design Star’ drawing over 5 million viewers to her no-nonsense, accessible approach to making positive and impactful design changes without breaking the bank. After taking the competition by storm, Jennifer moved on to host her own show, Paint Over! with Jennifer Bertrand featuring families in transition and in desperate need of help.

Jennifer currently is the designer on Lifetime Channel’s “Military Makeover” with host Montel Williams and has appeared in countless media outlets. She has been praised as ‘engaging, expressive and funny’.

She has traveled internationally as an NKBA Insider and continues to as a national speaker for a variety of industry events and brands.

Jennifer will share her experiences on reality TV design, giving back to the community, and how she became an NKBA Insider and brand ambassador.

7:15 pm Design Awards

Celebrate the winners of our 2018 Professional Design Competition! Presented by Jennifer Bertrand

Friday, Nov 16

8:20 am Kohler Factory Tour

For those who would like to stay overnight in Kohler, this is another opportunity to take the amazing factory tour!

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSOR

Sept 20 Chapter Meeting–Sporting Clays!

Thursday, September 20, 2018 @ 3:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Milford Hills Hunt Club
W5670 French Rd
Johnson Creek, WI 53038

Please join us for a fun afternoon of sporting clays (no experience necessary) followed by dinner and a presentation by Steve Westlund of The Westlund Group on “Digital and Web Tools for Todays Kitchen and Bath Professional” (0.05 CEU)

Thank You to Our Meeting Sponsor: Crystal Cabinet Works!

Early Bird Registration ends September 7–Save $10 and register early!

Registration Closes September 15

Registration Available for Dinner Only

• • Sporting Clay Registration includes:
    • Course Fee and 50 clay
    • 50 Shotgun Shells (12 or 20ga)
    • Ear and eye protection
    • Shotguns may be rented for $25–one needed per team of 4
    • Milford Hills staff will be available on the course for training
    • Dinner with free water and fountain drinks
    • 2 drink tickets for beer, wine, and rail drinks
    • Cash bar available for other options

  3:00 pm–Arrival and registration for sporting clays
  3:30 pm–Safety Speech
  3:45 pm–Sporting clay course start
  5:30 pm–Registration for dinner only
  5:45 pm–Cocktails
  6:30 pm–Dinner
  7:15 pm–Presentation

  “Digital and Web Tools for Todays Kitchen & Bath Professional” (.05CEU)

  Presented by Steve Westlund, owner of The Westlund Group, and National Training Director for Crystal Cabinets Works. Steve will take us on a tour of today’s best smartphone and web tools for the industry. This program will teach you new ways to help your business and your customers make the kitchen design process easier and more fun!

  This event qualifies for 0.05 CEU.

  RSVP Now

   

July 19 Chapter Meeting

Thursday, July 19, 2018 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

Terrazzo & Marble Supply
N59 W14339 Bobolink Ave
Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin 53051

Thank You to our Meeting Sponsor–Terrazzo & Marble Supply Co.

We have a great evening planned for you courtesy of our sponsor, Terrazzo & Marble Supply. Tour their new facility and see the beautiful stone slabs in their indoor warehouse. Learn about a new marble sealant on the market and enjoy learning about the latest trends in “What’s New…What’s Next” presented by Dawn DeLuca, AKBD, CLIPP, CAPS (0.1 CEU

“Whats New….What’s Next” (0.1 CEU)

• Current trends and insights from the NKBA Annual Trends Report
• Technology and its integration into the kitchen and bath
• Shiny, matte, textured, neutral, colorful, natural, man-made, recycled? Surfaces, of course.
• Trending product introductions (non brand-specific)

Dawn is an award winning designer with over 25 years of industry experience as Principal of Interior Transitions, a design studio based in NYC and north-western CT. Also, as a Founding Partner of Camille Rossy, Inc, in NYC. Her projects span the eastern seaboard of the US and Europe. As a certified designer and professional speaker, Dawn has spoken to various organizations about many industry topics all across the US.

An award winning member of the NKBA, Dawn has served as a volunteer leader on the local, regional and national levels, since 2005. She served as American North East Regional Director, as a Member of the National Board of Directors and the National Generative Council. She is currently the Programs Chair for the NKBA Manhattan Chapter. Dawn also serves as an Ambassador for the Living In Place Institute and as a Design Advisor for The Universal Design Project.

This event qualifies for 0.1 CEU.

May 17 Chapter Meeting and Student Design Competition Awards

Thursday, May 17, 2018 @ 5:00 pm – 8:00 pm

East Side Club
3735 Monona Dr
Madison, Wisconsin 53714

May 17, 2018 Chapter Meeting and Student Design Competition Awards!
Registration Closes May 10 $10 Additional Late Fee after May 6

The evening begins with registration and networking. Each attendee will receive 2 drink tickets for soda beer, and wine. Cash bar also available.

Please join us for a meeting full of information and recognition of our Student Design Contest award winners! Kelsey Holtz, a 2018 NKBA Thirty Under 30 honoree, will talk about her experience on the winning “Product of the Future” design team. We will also enjoy a timely CEU presentation by Scott Koehler, CKD on “Smart Kitchen Design–Incorporating Smart Technologies Into Kitchen Planning”. Plus, we will recognize the winners of the 2018 Student Design Competition Awards! You won’t want to miss this meeting!

Kelsey Holtz was recognized as a 2018 NKBA Thirty Under 30 honoree. These individuals were chosen by the NKBA as outstanding young professionals representing the future of the kitchen & bath industry. Prior to this year’s KBIS, the group of 30 was divided into 6 teams and asked to create a “Product of the Future” for a Shark Tank like presentation on the KBIS expo floor. Learn more about Kelsey and her team’s winning product at our May 17th chapter meeting.

CEU (0.1) Presentation by Scott Koehler on “Smart Kitchen Design

Everyone’s talking about smart kitchens and smart kitchen designs. This course addresses assigning values to smart kitchen products, using voice technology in the kitchen and incorporating smart gadgets, tools and systems into a kitchen design build project.

With 25 years of experience, Scott has designed and produced over 400 custom kitchens and supervised the design and production of 1,500 additional projects. In 2013, he relaunched his design career and applied his consultation and technology to his business.He has presented at KBIS in 2016, 2017 and 2018 via the Voices From The Industry Program (VFTI) with topics on mobile Apps, Cloud Computing and Smart Kitchen Design

This event qualifies for 0.1 CEU.

March 13 Chapter Event

Tuesday, March 13, 2018 @ 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm

The Waters
1393 Washington Ave
Oshkosh, WI 54901

Join us on the beautiful shores of Lake Winnebago and learn how to communicate with your clients and sell the job with 3D presentations. See how using different rendering techniques such as watercolor, technical illustration and photo realistic ray tracing can provide your clients with feedback that can focus on design concepts or the final look and feel of the completed project. Change designs, materials and colors on the fly in front of your clients and create a satisfying customer experience. This 0.1 CEU presentation will be given by Scott Harris, Vice President of Chief Architect Software. You won’t want to miss this one!

5:00-6:00pm: Registration and netowrking with heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks provided

6:00-6:15pm: NKBA updates, introductions

6:15-7:30pm: ” Learn Better Communication With Clients and Sell the Job With
3D Presentations” by Scott Harris, CKBD, Vice President of
Chief Architect Software (0.1 CEU)

Scott has an MBA with a background in software development and guides product marketing for the Chief Architect professional, DIY, and mobile software products. As a hobby, he is an avid designer of custom homes and interior space.

This event qualifies for 0.1 CEU.

Jan 24 2018 Chapter Meeting

Wednesday, January 24, 2018 @ 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
Glass Nickel Pizza
2916 Atwood Ave
Madison, WI 53704

Join us for a town-hall-style meeting with Robert Foltz, CKD, “The Kitchen Sales Coach.” Robert will be answering your questions about running your business, qualifying your clients, charging fees, target marketing, and other kitchen & bath business related topics. As a business and sales trainer with over 30 years in the kitchen & bath industry, he specializes in creating strategies that maximize the dealer & designer’s profits, customer experiences, & referrals. Take home tips to help improve your business in 2018!

5:00 – 5:45pm – Registration and networking
5:45 pm – Pizza buffet served
6:00 – 6:15pm NKBA Updates, introducitons, KBIS takeaways
6:15 – 7:30pm – Town Hall Style Meeting, Robert Foltz, CKD, The Kitchen Sales Coach

$30 NKBA Members, $40 Non-Members

$15 NKBA Student Members, $20 Non-Member Students

Register online and submit your question for Robert to answer anonymously at the meeting. Also, for those who attended KBIS, be prepared to tell share your favorite take-away from the show!

Thank you to our Silver meeting sponsor: Greenfield Cabinetry

This event qualifies for 0.1 CEU.

Dec 7 Holiday Mixer and Toy Drive

FREE to NKBA Members!

Thursday, December 7, 2017 @ 6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Gerhard’s Kitchen & Bath
2566 Sun Valley Dr
Delafield, Wisconsin 53018

Dec 7 Holiday Event and Toy Drive–Free to NKBA Members!

Thursday, Dec 7 6pm-8pm

Gerhard’s Kitchen & Bath

Visit their new showroom in Delafield, WI!

Free to NKBA Members!

Social Event and Toy Drive for Make-A-Wish Wisconsin

Please bring one or more new, unwrapped toys and let’s fill the donation barrels!

Please join us for a fun, social holiday mixer at the new Gerhard’s Kitchen & Bath showroom! We’d like to say thank you to all our active NKBA Chapter members for making 2017 a great year! We’ll also be collecting new, unwrapped gifts for Make-A-Wish Wisconsin.

This event is free to our members thanks to our generous sponsors: Gerhard’s, Kohler, and Cambria!